Pre-operatively no Aspirin or medicine containing Aspirin should be taken for three weeks. If you smoke you should cut down one week before surgery and stop completely three days before surgery to try and minimise postoperative complications which are more common in smokers.
The majority of cases of gynecomastia are treated only with liposuction. It involves 3 to 4 very small cuts (3mm in length) to insert the liposuction cannula (tube). This lives behind inconspicuous scarring.
There will be a scar within the nipple areola if open excision is required. The scar could be more extensive if removal of excess skin is required for grade 4 gynecomastia, gender reassignment patients undergoing female to male as well as patients following massive weight loss.
See our before and after images.
The operation takes between 45 minutes to 2 hours.
The majority of gynecomastia is corrected with liposuction only. This procedure is done as a day case. Mr Vadodaria prefers to keep the patient overnight if he has performed an open excision for the correction of gynecomastia.
If your operation is in the morning you will be asked to have nothing to eat or drink from midnight the night before. If your operation is at any other time, then you are expected to keep yourself ‘nil by mouth’ – not to eat or drink anything for a period 6 hours before the operation.
Following surgery your chest will be covered with a dressing which will be covered with a pressure garment to give your chest gentle support. Nothing further should be required until you attend Mr Vadodaria’s clinic within the first ten days, when all the dressings will be removed and the wounds inspected. We use dissolving stitches and therefore their removal is not necessary.
In general the postoperative period is usually smooth and with surprising lack of pain. Mild painkillers such as Paracetamol are all that are usually required. Please be very careful to avoid Aspirin or any medications that contain Aspirin. If you should notice that one breast becomes swollen particularly if it is tender or red, inflamed and/or you feel hot and fluey, then you should immediately contact a member of staff at the hospital.
If the correction of gynecomastia requires liposuction only, then Mr Vadodaria is happy for you to resume your day-to-day activities the next day following surgery. Mr Vadodaria would expect you to keep your pressure garment on while you perform gentle exercises. However, you are not allowed to do any weightlifting, swimming, contact sports or strenuous exercises if Mr Vadodaria has performed open excision for a total period of 4 to 6 weeks. Mr Vadodaria is happy for you to resume light office duties following 1 week to 10 days after your procedure.
You are allowed to come to the hospital alone, however Mr Vadodaria would advice you to be collected from the hospital by a relative or friend. Alternatively, you are advised to return home by cab. You will need someone to help you at home for the first 48 hours.
As with any surgical operation there is a possibility of complications, which are fortunately less with the gynecomastia corrective surgery. Occasionally a collection of blood (haematoma) can occur. If this is significant it happens within 24 hours and so you are still in hospital and in the very occasional case it may require a small second general anaesthetic to evacuate the blood and find the bleeding blood vessel.
Your breast size is determined by the amount of fat in the breast and this is influenced by your general shape and size as to whether you are fat or thin. If you gain weight after surgery, which on the whole is rare, then your breasts will increase in size.